This is one of those games I always wanted to like, but never quite got there. Two questions:

Me too, i tried to like it, but it never got me addicting. I try each year this Game and try to like it, simply because i'm an huge fan of this Genre and couldn't let it slip, but everytime i try it there are some things which kill this Game for.

Firstly, and that is also the biggest issue. Free 2 Play plus Online-Only. I know it might have one of the fairest Cash-Shop/F2P Modells out there, it still doesn't change a thing, that i might have to buy something from that. I rather had a pricetag, which i pay once and than after that, i have full acess to the content which is offered(or atleast most Part of it). Also offline-playbility is one of the most important Features for me, thats also why i like Diablo 3 far more on Console than on PC.

Secondly: The Skilltree. I mean this is really an personal matter, however i don't like the Skilltree. Alot of People claim this is one of the most complex Skilltrees, however in my opinion it is only an expanded Attribute-System. And so its quite an impostor for me. If this all would be Skills plus Skillchanger, than it would different, but if i have to follow one path to raise Attackspeed or if they would've made it like Diablo 2 with +1 on the certain attribute, doesn't really make that much of different.

Thirdly: Skills only obtainable due the Game(ala Final Fantasy 7 Materia). Sacred might had an similiar approach - unlock Skills with Items and level them, but Sacred had the tradeoff of this huge open world aspect, thats why i enjoyed Sacred far more than this concept.

Last but not Least:
Alot of this felt for me, like it missing its own Soul and Identiy. We could argue in similiar terms about Diablo 3, however if i play Diablo 3, even with its downsides, it stells feels like Diablo to me, thanks to Lore, Design and Such. We could Argue about Torchlight 1+2 which also reminds a lot of Diablo 1+2. But Torchlight still have his own unique approach and felt like everthing fits. It might be more of an Hack'n'Slay lite, due it doesn't have as much Content unlike other HnS, but except that this was amazing Games. Path of Exile i have the problem, alot is made simply for PR - to grab all this dissapointed Diablo Fans. The Problem is, when i play Path of Exile, i get more the intention to reinstall Diablo 2 and play this instead.

The new legacy league was released. I am not interested in playing it, but PoE player number increased even more , and at one moment, it was the third most played game on steam with peek of 65 000 players at one time.
And GGG posted in total from both steam and their vanilla servers is 112800 overall peak. Very impressive numbers

__________________Look into the face of the enemy, and rejoice!
For to stand before him, to bask in his fury,
is to tell him that you fear him not,
and that he is within a sword-thrust of destruction.

I was in the 2.0 Beta (and was playing before that as well). What pissed me off the most was GGG NOT listening to most of the people and only to those to invested real money into the game. Many maps were removed and others optimized. The optimized ones are much better and makes more sense. But the cutting of maps lowers what level you are when finished. It's about 70-75 right now. Getting to 80 is a long process. And beyond that is just ridiculous. Even going from 80 to 81 is like how long it took you to get from 75 to 80. Many of the end content requires level 90 or higher unless you have a OP build.
The game is pretty much messed up badly. Many skills worthless, very few builds are really good. Energy Shield is extreme OP with well over 10,000 points, insta recharge for it, makes you far harder to kill. But life hp you're lucky to break 5k and makes you a one shot death on many bosses.
I'm waiting for version 3 now. But i have a bad feeling they will remove yet more maps, so even with the extra levels you will be a lower level, like 75 or lower still instead of much higher.